When Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin entered the race for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, the Republican establishment breathed a collective sigh of relief.
They finally had a strong candidate who could take on one of the most vulnerable Democrats in Congress, Ann Kirkpatrick, in November.

Two congressional candidates seen as frontrunners to snag the Republican nomination in districts with vulnerable Democratic incumbents are being criticized for giving the media and constituents the silent treatment.

For the first time since we began doing them, a leader has refused to sit down for a Session Wrap Q&A interview. Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin's office refused multiple requests to sit down for an interview, and the only explanation given was that he “wanted more control” over what would be printed. As a result, we were unable to ask Tobin about his experiences this year — or get his thoughts on his nearly eight years as a legislator, six years in leadership and three years as speaker, given that he is leaving the Legislature after this year.

Arizona lawmakers opened a special session to overhaul the state’s child welfare system with a sputter, beginning the session without having finished preparing the bills needed to create a new Department of Child Safety.

Democratic Sen. Ed Ableser of Tempe regained his title of most absentee lawmaker this year, showing up for only 62 percent of Senate floor sessions, though he voted on 70 percent of all the bills put before the chamber.